My own voyages into the world of Solo RPGs.

Putting D20 Through A Testament (Part 1)

Alright, so now it’s time for me to finally play Testament, the biblical roleplaying game. I’ll be using Mythic for this game. However, I’ll have a bit of a twist. The game follows D20 rules. This theoretically means it’s compatible with the GameMastery Plot Twist Cards. The way this will work is that each character will get one Twist Card, when they expend it, they get a new one after three scenes.

So, let’s open this game with a bit of a recap: Zerubabel is a Royal Astrologer working for Babylon. He gained his magical spells through a pact with Tiamat, who is now looking to cash in on the deal. In helping with that, she sends Dracoiel, her Sin Dragonborn Blackguard, to help him fulfill a task for her. This task? I’m not sure, but according to the stars, it has something to do with not forgiving and forgetting something.

And so, Zerubabel and Dracoiel head off on a journey. GME, if you would?

[Scene’s altered]

I’ll draw to see what the alteration is.

[Twist Card: Something Found]

Alright, I’ll skim through the bestiary and see what I find.

{one skim later}

Alright, I think I have an idea. Our group comes across a pack of hunters who are hunting some Aurochs. They easily spot Zerubabel and Dracoiel.

As soon as they see that there’s a Dragonborn walking with Zerubabel, they simply assume the worst and ready their weapons. Dracoiel, however, plays the Something Lost twist card. He’ll go off to hide while they try Spot again.

[Roll: 4, -2 = 2]

[Roll: 2.]

They make the Spot check at the right moment. However, the twist being that they were distracted, thus the head of the Auroch pack seeks to take out their leader.

[Attack Roll: 17 + 11 = 28, hit! Damage: 6]

And the Auroch gores the leader. Not much, but enough to wound him.

[Knowledge Check:20 + 4 = 24]

Zerubabel happens to know these people. They’re the hunting party for Amel-Marduk, the eventual (immediate) successor of the Babylonian Empire. However, it seems there’s only the hunting party. The Prince is seemingly missing. Zerubabel will try to talk this one out and explain Dracoiel.

Using the Twist Card, Hidden Asset, he pulls out a written paper from Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian King, excusing Dracoiel despite his Sin Dragonborn appearance.

[Q: Is this legit? Odds: Very Unlikely, Nebuchadnezzar has no idea of Dracoiel’s existence and he came exclusively to Zerubabel. A: No.]

[Event: Progress is made towards the Missing Prince subplot involving the stopping of wounds.]

While they don’t exactly buy the idea of Dracoiel being with a royal astrologer, they are busier with saving their friend’s life, and so, if they can kill the Aurochs, then they can simply let them pass. Alright, simple enough.

[Initiative Roll]

So Dracoiel goes first and he decides to roast the Aurochs with a blast of unholy fire.

[Reflex Saves]

Only the large Auroch is blasted, while the other three dodge out of the way and only get burned. The Aurochs take a lot of damage, and the turn switches over to the trappers, who fire at the injured Auroch. One of them manages to kill it and the other shifts aim towards the younger ones. However, he failed and his bow breaks. (He rolled a 1).

Meanwhile, Zerubabel lobs a fireball towards the other Aurochs. Like with Dracoiel’s fire breath, it heavily damages one that failed their reflex, but the other two managed to save and take half. At this point, they’ll turn around and leave, since they are practically almost dead. The hunting party take the time to heal up as they accept Zerubabel and Dracoiel’s presence. They know Zerubabel pretty well as the King’s royal astrologer.

Let’s see what sort of conversation they bring up.

NPC Mood: 4, Guarded

NPC Bearing: D8 = 2, D10 = 4, Chaos

NPC Focus: 78, Treasure

So, while they accept Zerubabel’s presence, they’re understandably concerned with Dracoiel. They tell Zerubabel that they went with Amel-Marduk to a sacred temple of Ningal, Goddess of the Moon. However, they spotted the Aurochs and they lost sight of Amel-Marduk. They assumed he went into the temple and they offer their services to them if they can help find Amel-Marduk.

Zerubabel complies and enters the temple. Dracoiel is quick to remind Zerubabel that there’s still the task for Tiamat he has to preform, but Zerubabel says that whatever she has in mind might just come to them. And so the scene ends. Things are less chaotic and the heroes have two scenes left before they get new Twist Cards.

However, before they entered the temple, the leader of the hunting pack is quick to notice an assassin and attacks him, knocking him prone.

[Q: Will the assassin yield? Odds: Very Unlikely. A: No.]

The hunter tells the others to get ready for batte. As they do, Zerubabel unleashes a storm of Burning Hands, though he made the save and took half of 10 damage.

[Q: Does the Assassin know who Zerubabel is? Odds: 50/50. A: Yes.]

The Assassin gets up, but the hunters attack him, dealing a good chunk of damage to him. Dracoiel comes up and stabs the Assassin in the back. Zerubabel prepares himself, just in case the assassin breaks free, but the hunter leader simply knocks him out. An hour later, the Assassin comes to. He’s not talking, but he’s tied up, meaning that he will be unable to poison himself to prevent the truth from coming out.

No one is exactly skilled in intimidation, so Zerubabel simply asks what he was doing in the temple.

[Roll: 15]

NPC Mood: Cautious

NPC Bearing: Chaos

NPC Focus: Flaws

He said that he was simply guarding the temple from trespassers. Dracoiel, being a Sin Dragonborn and all that, calls bullcrap and says he has an ulterior motive. Especially if he does claim he’s guarding the temple, since that would mean he’d encounter Amel.

While the assassin doesn’t say anything else, the hunters decide to leave him tied up while they search for Amel. The scene ends with it being a little more chaotic. No interrupt, and the heroes have one more scene before they get new Twists.

I’m gonna generate the dungeon via Donjon and have them explore it. The hunter finds a trap in the middle of the hallway.

[Q: Do the trappers know how to disarm the trap? Odds: Very Likely. A: No]

Well crap. One of the trappers proposes one of them would walk to the trap, set it off, then the others will run across. Dracoiel proposes to do it, since he’s a pretty sturdy dragon. He sets the trap off and takes a bit of damage, but not enough to take him out. They proceed deeper into the temple. (Scene ends, so they get their Twist Cards)

They suddenly encounter huge monstrous centipedes. However, it took a little bit of time and effort to kill them all. Zerubabel even uses his new Twist Card, Save The Day, to allow the Hunter to make one final arrow pierce at a centipede before he kills the last one with his rusty dagger. After the battle, the hunter tries to open the door leading to the stairs, however, he is slashed apart by a magic spell.

Fortunately, they had a potion of Cure Serious Wounds they looted off the Assassin, which heals him with the same amount of damage the trap gave him. They go up the stairs and into the next scene. They go into the hall and try to open the next door, only for it to be yet another trap. This time, it summons a monster. However, it summons a celestial bear of an unknown white color (to them. It’s a Celestial Polar Bear).

NPC Mood: Guarded

NPC Bearing: Examination

NPC Focus: Equipment

The bear examines our equipment. He’s curious towards the hunter’s Cold Iron Arrows, as it’s usually reserved for hunting down spiritual monsters. He’ll allow them to pass, but the hunter must give away the arrows to him.

[Q: Does he comply? Odds: 50/50. A: Yes]

We suddenly get a random event saying that there’s a bestowing of peace. I guess this will help us in the later floors. The Polar Bear grants us passage as they enter the room. As they do, they see that there’s a lot of scrawling in demonic text that says “Abell fell here.” Zerubabel knew that Abell was a famed hunter of the Babylonians and used to be Nebuchadnezzar’s favored huntsman to take with him.

They exit the room and head to the third floor. They are ambushed by two Scorpion Guards. Much like the polar bear, they are more interested in exchanging words than attacking. Much like the polar bear as well, they simply block the access of the stairs, insisting that Zerubabel and others show them their wares. They do so, and they’re asked to leave behind the hunter’s silvered arrows and the black adder venom that the trappers have. On top of this, Dracoiel is asked to stay behind.

[Q: Do they comply? Odds: 50/50. A: No]

The hunter protest this and insists that they go up with their items. One of the scorpion guard brandishes his sword. That’s when Dracoiel plays his twist card of Backstabbed. The other Scorpion Guard attacks him. After an attack from the hunter, he’s killed. The surviving Scorpion Guard then says that he should allow Babylonian Royalty to pass through.

He confirms that the Scorpion Guard is indeed evil. He does not tell the others this, rather allows Zerubabel and the others to go up while he converses with the Scorpion Guard on secret matters that I’ll reveal later.

Next scene. The four characters enter a room where they see a woman sitting on a bed, smiling at the group. She insists the group takes a break from their dungeoneering. Because her deception (or rather, bluff) is a +19, the group accept her offer and stay for a bit. She asks each of them what they can offer her.

The trappers offer her the best trap they could make. The hunter offers her a cut of Auroch meat. Zerubabel, however, offers to read her horoscope. The woman is interested in it. If he could read her horoscope and see what future she has, he will be able to get to the fifth floor. He first requests that he gives him her birthdate and the location of her birth.

[Q: Does she truthfully give it? Odds: Unlikely. A: No]

She lies about her birthdate and says she was born on the 29th Dumuzu, twenty years prior to the game. She asks him if she’ll find the perfect mate, and after a bit of cross examination, he is able to confirm that:

[Roll: 3, Weal and Woe]

He says that she will, but misfortune awaits and she will struggle with her relationship.

[Q: Is she pleased with the answer? Odds: 50/50. A: Yes.]

She enjoys it. Especially after he confirmed that the prediction will happen within the week. She lets him past. He requests the others to come with him.

[Q: Does she comply? Odds: Very Likely. A: Exceptional No]

She insists he goes up to the fifth floor alone. However, when Dracoiel comes back, she allows him up as well.

[Sense Motive: 13]

Dracoiel thinks something’s up, but after the chat with the traitorous scorpion guard, he is understanding of the situation. He turns to the hunters and asks if he can borrow their poisons.

[Q: Do they comply? Odds: Very Likely. A: Yes]

However, Zerubabel has some sort of doubt. The woman was very lovely. He wondered if he was her Mr. Perfect. He knows his own date and will plan to plot out his horoscope accordingly. However, they must go to the top of the temple, which is preceded by a long, harrowing trial of hallways.

However, Zerubabel couldn’t wait for his horoscope, and he spends his time doing it now while a wandering monster goes to encounter the two. They are five ghouls, and Dracoiel has to fight them all alone while Zerubabel is preoccupied.

While the Ghouls make a surprise attack, Dracoiel plays Tipping Point, which makes the target delay their actions, giving Dracoiel ample time to attack. He easily roasts them as Zerubabel finally makes his horoscope. He asks himself if he’s the perfect mate for the woman, and he gets a weal. Yes, yes he is. He’s so happy! However, Dracoiel informs him that they have to get going.

They enter a hall where demonic faces begin to speak to them.

NPC Mood: Neutral

NPC Bearing: Speech

NPC Focus: Last Action

The faces speak out and talk of what they’re about to do. Zerubabel has no idea what they’re talking about, while Dracoiel tries to shut them up by smashing the walls. He succeeds and destroys them. The two move on, with Zerubabel unsure what’s going on.

With the smashed walls, the two level up. With that, I’ll end the session there while I level up my characters and we’ll resume this next week. Bon voyage, gamers!